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GoFundMe started to help family of Iraq vet found shot, killed in Tallahassee

John Dees, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, pictured with his daughter. Dees was found dead Jan. 13, 2020, in a wooded area off Pecan Road on Tallahassee's west side. Dees, who struggled with personal demons after coming home from the war, had been shot.(Photo: Special to the Democrat)

The widow of a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and was found shot to death in Tallahassee has started a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.

Kimberly Crosby, whose late husband John Dees was killed earlier this month, started the fundraiser on Wednesday. As of Thursday, she had raised about $500 toward an $11,000 goal.

“John was 34 years old and taken away from us far too early,” Crosby wrote on her GoFundMe page. “He was murdered in cold blood and now we, his family and friends, are left to mourn and cope. He leaves behind a 12 year old daughter. We need these funds to provide closure in this very tough and difficult situation.”

Crosby said Dees’ body will be flown from Tallahassee to Austin, Texas, where he will be laid to rest. She said he had no life insurance to help cover expenses.

Several of his buddies from the Army posted their condolences on the GoFundMe page.

“John was in my unit,” Anthony Caliguiri said. “He was a great soldier and exceptional man.”

Dees grew up in Virginia Beach and joined the Army out of high school, working as an air defense enhanced-early warning system operator from 2004 to 2011. He served in Iraq from March 2007 to May 2008 and at some point fell into addiction.

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John Dees, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was found dead Jan. 13, 2020, in a wooded area off Pecan Road on Tallahassee's west side. Dees, who struggled with personal demons after coming home from the war, had been shot. Special to the Democrat

John Dees, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, pictured with his daughter. Dees was found dead Jan. 13, 2020, in a wooded area off Pecan Road on Tallahassee's west side. Dees, who struggled with personal demons after coming home from the war, had been shot. Special to the Democrat

John Dees, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, pictured with his daughter. Dees was found dead Jan. 13, 2020, in a wooded area off Pecan Road on Tallahassee's west side. Dees, who struggled with personal demons after coming home from the war, had been shot. Special to the Democrat

John Dees, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was found dead Jan. 13, 2020, in a wooded area off Pecan Road on Tallahassee's west side. Dees, who struggled with personal demons after coming home from the war, had been shot. Special to the Democrat

John Dees, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq, was found dead Jan. 13, 2020, in a wooded area off Pecan Road on Tallahassee's west side. Dees, who struggled with personal demons after coming home from the war, had been shot. Special to the Democrat

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It’s unclear when or why he arrived in Tallahassee, though residents of the Seminole Manor neighborhood where he rented rooms said he seemed to show up about a year ago. He did yard work for many in the neighborhood, where he was remembered as a kind but troubled soul.

Tallahassee police, acting on a tip, found his body Jan. 13 in a wooded area off Mission and Pecan roads on the west side of town. Investigators said he had been shot and was a victim of homicide, the city’s first of 2020.

The Tallahassee Police Department released few other details, including Dees’ name. The Tallahassee Democrat confirmed his identity through family members and friends.

Anyone with information about his death is asked to call TPD at (850) 891-4200 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers line at (850) 574-TIPS.

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.